North Iowa Band Festival Reminders

The community is gearing up for the 85th North Iowa Band Festival, which begins Thursday, May 23 in Mason City.  Thursday evening entertainment begins at 6PM at the Principal Pavilion on the Downtown Plaza with the John Adams Middle School Band, followed by the season-opening performance of the Mason City Municipal Band at 6:45PM.

Honorees and Parade

In addition to the marching band competition, the parade will honor Don Higgins and Dennis Higgins with the Grand Marshal Award.

Lindsey James, Executive Director of Visit Mason City, will be honored as the Klempnauer Awardee.

Saturday morning’s parade begins at 10AM on Pennsylvania Ave. and Third Street NE. The parade starts at Pennsylvania Avenue and Third Street NE; the area north and east of this corner is used for “staging” the parade entries, and spectators should not sit in this area. Parade entries will be allowed to distribute candy and other hand-outs.  However, the first three blocks of the parade are the judging area, which is a designated “NO CANDY” zone. Parents should not allow children to sit in the street or run into the street. Several of the marching bands will require the full width of the street for their performance.

Pets

Dogs and other animals—with or without a leash--are NOT allowed along the parade route on Saturday morning, or in any festival areas Downtown from Thursday evening through Monday evening.

Trash

Festival-goers are encouraged to use the trash receptacles located along the parade route and in Central Park.  Private citizens along the parade route are extremely generous in allowing their North Iowa neighbors a great vantage point to enjoy the parade, and the Mason City Parks Department has worked very hard to have Central Park looking its best for guests.  Please heed this gentle reminder to dispose of all trash properly.

Bathroom Facilities

Porta-potties will be located along the parade route, at the start of the Stu Nevermann Memorial Run, and in Central Park for the comfort of festival patrons.  Please use these conveniently-located facilities and refrain from requesting entrance to private homes or businesses along the parade route or downtown.  Accessible porta-potties are available downtown.  For the parade, an accessible porta-potty will be placed in the parking lot across from the former YMCA building, which is the area designated for ADA-parking/parade viewing.

Rain

Saturday morning’s parade will be rain-delayed in half-hour increments and is subject to cancellation at 11:30AM.   In the event of heavy rain or lightning, festival entertainment will be moved to the indoor pavilion or cancelled. These decisions will be made prior to each entertainment segment (Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening,) if the weather clears.

The Annual Stu Nevermann Memorial Run will begin as-scheduled in the event of rain, but will be delayed in 30-minute increments for lightning.

Severe Weather

Festival officials and the Mason City Police Department will work closely with the Cerro Gordo Emergency Management team to monitor the weather and the potential threat of severe weather.  They will rely upon the National Weather Service to utilize the early warning system, if possible.  In the event of severe weather, the Mason City Police Department will exercise its authority to ensure public safety.  This may include directing patrons to evacuate Central Park and move to nearby shelter (NI Regional Commerce Center, City Hall, Praise Community Church).

Smoking

Patrons attending the entertainment events in Central Park/Downtown should refrain from smoking.

Entertainment

In the spirit of celebrating local musicians, the John Adams Middle School Band will kick off the weekend on Thursday night, followed by a performance from the Mason City Municipal Band.

On Friday, the talented Mason City High School Orchestra is scheduled at 5PM at the Principal Performing Arts Pavilion. The Mason City High School Jazz Band is scheduled at 6PM on the main stage, followed by Not Quite Brothers at 7PM! Not Quite Brothers is Central Iowa's fastest growing cover band. Formed in 2018, the band quickly became known for their huge sound, eclectic setlist and ability to enhance any party. Fans of all ages agree... "it feels like I am watching the band they are covering in their heyday" and "It's so cool to see a younger generation playing my favorite songs on stage instead of overweight boomers in cargo shorts."

Saturday’s festivities begin with The Stu Nevermann Run at 8AM, followed by the BIG parade at 10AM that runs down East State Street from North Penn to the High School. The state champion Mason City Danzers will perform at 1PM at Principal Pavilion before the Awards Ceremony at 1:30PM. The instrument petting zoo will be held from 2-4PM along with balloon creations and spin art. At 3PM, the Bill Riley Talent Show will be held at Principal Pavilion. This show will serve as the area’s first of the summer, and the winner of the show will compete in the state show at the Iowa State Fair later in August.

Saturday's Main Stage performances feature the "River City Mixtape!" Enjoy local musicians all afternoon and evening! Beginning at 2PM, Paul Weitzel will take the stage, followed by Levi Smith at 3:15PM, Juni West at 4:30PM, and The Mercury 3 at 6PM. The Mockingbirds will start rocking at 7:30PM, and our final show of the night is Betty and the Gents at 9PM.

Carnival / Concession / Marketplace

The carnival and concessions will open on Thursday evening at 6PM and run until 8PM.  The carnival and concession open at 5PM on Friday, 9AM on Saturday, noon to 8PM on Sunday, and noon to close on Monday.  Sunday and Monday will be “Wrist Band Days”.  The Marketplace will be open Friday at 4PM, Noon on Saturday, and 11AM-5PM on Sunday.

Website

The North Iowa Band Festival website contains the most up-to-date information on all aspects of the festival. www.nibandfest.com.